The present invention relates to the gaming arts. One embodiment finds particular application in conjunction with a game commonly known as Bingo, and the invention will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that various embodiments of the present invention are also amenable to other like applications and/or similar games of chance. One example of a similar game is Keno.
Bingo and Keno are widely known games of chance. A popular form of Bingo played in the United States consists of bingo faces defined by a two-dimensional (2D) matrix of numbers, e.g., a 5×5 matrix, with each column of numbers listed under a letter of the word “BINGO.” Commonly, there is a pool of numbers, e.g., 1-75, that are used in the game. For example, under the letter “B”, five unique numbers from 1 through 15 may be listed; under the letter “I”, five unique numbers from 16 through 30 may be listed; under the letter “N”, four unique numbers from 31 through 45 may be listed; under the letter “G”, five unique numbers from 46 through 60 may be listed; and, under the letter “O”, five unique numbers from 61 through 75 may be listed. The center space of the matrix, which falls under the “N” column, is usually designated as a free space in the play of the game.
The game is played by marking or filling in a Bingo face as corresponding numbers are called, drawn or otherwise selected from the pool, preferably, in a random or pseudo-random fashion. The face that first completes a designated pattern in the 2D matrix is the winner. For any given game, there may be one or more designated winning patterns. Numerous winning patterns are known. These include a row or column of the matrix or a diagonal across it. Also known are letters formed on the matrix such as an “X” or geometric patterns such as “picture frame” or “postage stamp.”
It is popular in the playing of Bingo to purchase a booklet of Bingo sheets, each sheet of which has one or more Bingo faces printed thereon. These booklets often include multiple paper sheets, one stacked upon the other, with the paper sheets being removably secured at one edge to form a booklet. The number of sheets in a booklet is indicated by the term “up.” Thus, a 10 up booklet means a booklet having ten sheets. Each sheet typically contains a number of bingo faces, indicated by the term “on.” These normally range from a 1 ON to a 36 ON. When players enter the Bingo hall, they may purchase one or more booklets. Each booklet contains one sheet for each game to be played during that session. The player will then play all of the Bingo faces on the first sheet for the first game and mark these faces as each of the numbers is called. Once a winner is declared and the game is over, the player removes the top sheet from the booklet and plays the next game on the following sheet. The marked first sheet is discarded.
As the popularity of Bingo grows, the number of players increases dramatically. Each player may use twelve, eighteen or more Bingo faces simultaneously for a given game. As a result, 9,000 or more Bingo faces may be in play for a single game. State of the art communication techniques such as television satellite links may now join many Bingo halls together for a combined bingo session. This further increases the potential number of Bingo faces played in a single game to 120,000 or more. Determining a winner for a Bingo game can be burdensome and time consuming with so many faces, especially, if there are a plurality of patterns designated for winning. The potential for human error can also increase with the number of faces in play and/or the number of potential winning patterns. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a technique and/or device which will rapidly evaluate Bingo faces to accurately determine a winner.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved system for evaluating Bingo faces that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.